Down and out: Week 11 NFL injury updates

Denver had a painful Sunday

The Broncos' high-powered offense took a massive hit in their Sunday loss to the Rams. Click onward for injury updates on tight end Julius Thomas, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and running back Montee Ball -- plus other key players from around the NFL who were knocked out of Sunday's games.

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Robert Alford, CB, Falcons

Alford left in the first quarter of Atlanta’s win against the Panthers with a wrist injury. A 2013 second-round pick, Alford has been a full-time starter with three interceptions this season after starting just four games as a rookie. Coach Mike Smith told reporters Monday that Alford will miss 2-4 weeks.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsKim Klement

Dwayne Allen, TE Colts

Allen left the Colts’ loss to New England with what ESPN is reporting is a high ankle sprain. Coach Chuck Pagano told reporters Monday that his status is day-to-day. A third-round pick in 2012, Allen entered the game with 26 catches for 374 yards and seven touchdowns this year after a hip injury limited him to only one game in his second season.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY SportsRon Chenoy

Jonathan Babineaux, DE, Falcons

Babineaux left the first quarter of the Falcons’ win against Carolina with a knee injury. Babineaux, in his 10th season with the Falcons, has missed only six games in his career and hasn’t missed any games since 2011.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY SportsBob Donnan

Chris Baker, DT, Redskins

Baker suffered an SC joint sprain in his chest that knocked him out of the Redskins’ loss to Tampa Bay. Baker, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2009, has missed only three games since becoming a regular with the Redskins in 2012. On Monday, the Redskins said his status is day-to-day.

Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY SJeffrey G. Pittenger

Montee Ball , RB, Broncos

Ball suffered a fairly severe groin injury in Week 5 and was back on the field for the first time since then during Denver’s loss to the Rams. According to the Denver Post, he left after just a few plays, talked to the team’s head trainer and returned. Two plays later, he hobbled off again for good. The Post says he'll miss another 2-3 weeks.

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY SportsChris Humphreys

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Colts

Bradshaw, who has a history of foot problems, left the Colts’ loss to New England with what was initially called a lower leg injury. Coach Chuck Pagano told reporters Monday that the injury was a fractured fibula. Bradshaw, in his second season with Indy after six years with the Giants, played only three games last season after suffering a season-ending neck injury. This year, he has been the team’s leading rusher ahead of former No. 3 overall draft pick Trent Richardson. Bradshaw entered the game averaging 5.1 yards per carry to Richardson’s 3.6.

Getty ImagesJoe Robbins

Rafael Bush, S, Saints

A person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press that Bush suffered a fractured fibula in his right leg during the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ loss to the Bengals and that the injury likely will need to be surgically repaired. The person says it remains unclear whether Bush will have to miss the rest of the season. The person spoke to AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed the injury. After the game, Bush told teammates and reporters that he fractured his tibia. However, the person who spoke to AP says Bush mistakenly used the wrong anatomical term. The fibula is a smaller bone which bears less weight than the tibia, and the recovery time is often shorter.

APBill Haber

Brandin Cooks, WR, Saints

Cooks will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken thumb suffered in Sunday's loss to the Bengals, FOX Sports 1 insider Mike Garafolo has confirmed. The rookie first-round pick, who has 53 catches for 550 yards and three touchdowns through 10 games, had surgery Monday. It's a blow to a reeling Saints team that is 4-6 and has lost two straight home games for the first time since 2009.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsJason Getz

Karlos Dansby, LB, Browns

Dansby hurt his knee on a running play midway through the second quarter of Cleveland’s loss to the Texans. He pounded the ground in frustration before limping off the field under his own power. He was examined on the sideline, then walked slowly to the locker room for treatment. Dansby, an 11th-year pro, has had a major impact in his first season with the Browns, whose defense has struggled against the run. His loss -- coach Mike Pettine told reporters Monday that he'll be out "upwards of a month" -- along with an earlier season-ending knee injury to massive end Phil Taylor would put further stress on Cleveland's run defense. Dansby entered Sunday's game as the team's leader in tackles with 69. He also has three sacks and an interception.

Ron Schwane-USA TODAY SportsRon Schwane

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals

Fitzgerald missed the final two minutes of the first half after suffering what the Arizona Republic says is a grade 2 MCL sprain. The website reports the receiver, who has played in 110 straight games, says he will play through the injury Sunday against the Seahawks. Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old eight-time Pro Bowl selection, has 46 catches for 658 yards through 10 games and is on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since the 2011 season.

APRalph Freso

Shawn Lauvao, G, Redskins

Lauvao left Washington’s loss to the Bucs with a concussion. He is in his first season with the Redskins after four with the Browns. Coach Jay Gruden told reporters Monday that Lauvao could play Sunday against the 49ers.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsMark J. Rebilas

Leodis McKelvin, CB, Bills

McKelvin, who pledged his team would beat the Dolphins on Thursday night, didn’t get the chance to help much in its loss. He left in the first half with what turned out to be a fractured ankle. On Monday, the Bills placed him on season-ending injured reserve. The seventh-year pro had a career-high four interceptions this season.

APLynne Sladky

Trent Murphy, DE, Redskins

Murphy left Washington’s loss to the Bucs with what coach Jay Gruden told reporters was a sprained knee. Murphy, the 47th overall pick in last May’s draft, has two sacks this season and has worked himself into a starting position. Gruden told reporters Monday that Murphy could play Sunday against the 49ers.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsMark J. Rebilas

Rich Ohrnberger, C, Chargers

Ohrnberger left the Chargers’ win over Oakland with an ankle injury. He has been a fill-in starter this year for center Nick Hardwick, who suffered a season-ending neck injury Sept. 8.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY SportsJake Roth

Justin Pugh, OT, Giants

Pugh left the Giants’ loss to the 49ers with a quad injury that coach Tom Coughlin told reporters he initially suffered a week ago against the Seahawks. The 19th overall pick in the 2013 draft has started all 25 of New York’s games since joining the team but has been part of an inconsistent Giants line this season. Pugh told reporters that he expects to play Sunday against the Cowboys.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY SportsTim Heitman

Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins

Reed injured his hamstring during Washington’s loss to the Bucs. The 2013 third-round pick missed Weeks 2-5 earlier this season with a hamstring injury. He had 20 catches in his first three games back but has only three in the past two games. Coach Jay Gruden told reporters Monday that Murphy could play Sunday against the 49ers.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsMark J. Rebilas

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos

Sanders caught a 42-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter but left Denver’s loss to the Rams after taking a hard hit from St. Louis safety Rodney McLeod on the opening drive of the second half. Sanders suffered a concussion, and McLeod was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Sanders, enjoying a breakout season in his fifth year as a pro but first with the Broncos, had five catches for 102 yards Sunday and has 67 catches for 954 yards and seven TDs this season. He has entered concussion protocol, and his status will be determined as the week progresses.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY SportsJeff Curry

Jabaal Sheard, LB, Browns

Coach Mike Pettine told reporters that a foot injury knocked Sheard from the third quarter of Cleveland’s loss to the Texans. Pettine said Monday that Sheard, a 2011 second-round pick who has missed only three games in his career, likely will be lost for the season with what he described as a bone injury.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY SportsAndrew Weber

Antone Smith, RB, Falcons

A broken right leg knocked Smith from Atlanta’s win over the Panthers, and the team announced Monday that it will place him on season-ending injured reserve. Smith entered the game as Atlanta’s No. 2 rusher and had added 12 receptions for 219 yards. He was averaging a whopping 6.3 yards per carry and 18.3 yards per catch. In his fifth season, he had finally become a key player in the Falcons’ offense for the first time.

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY SportsJim O'Connor

Zach Strief, OT, Saints

Strief left the Saints’ loss to Cincinnati with a concussion. Strief, in his ninth year with the Saints and fourth as a starter, has missed only one game last season and this season combined after missing nine total games in his first two years as a starter.

APBill Haber

Julius Thomas, TE, Broncos

Thomas, who entered Sunday’s loss to the Rams leading the NFL with 12 TD catches, left in the first quarter with a sprained ankle. Thomas told the Denver Post that he's day-to-day. That means this is most likely not a high ankle injury similar to the one that limited Thomas’ availability and effectiveness in 2011 and 2012 before he had a breakout 2013 season.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY SportsCary Edmondson

Max Unger, C, Seahawks

Unger, a Pro Bowl selection each of the past two seasons, left Seattle’s loss to the Chiefs with what Coach Pete Carroll told reporters Monday was a high ankle sprain and a tweaked knee. Unger, who had just returned from a foot injury that kept him out in Weeks 6-9, was carted off the field, and Carroll said his recovery timetable is 3-4 weeks.

APEd Zurga

LaAdrian Waddle, OT, Lions

Waddle was knocked out of a game early for the second straight week -- this time in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals. Waddle, who left last week’s game with a minor knee injury and had previously missed four games this season with calf and concussion problems, suffered an ankle injury this time around. Coach Jim Caldwell declined to give an update on Waddle’s status while addressing reporters after the game, but ESPN reported Monday that the coach said it wasn't a long-term injury.

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY SportsTim Fuller

Trent Williams, OT, Redskins

Williams left Washington’s loss to the Buccaneers in the first quarter with what ESPN.com reported was a sprained MCL in his right knee. The Redskins on Monday said his status is day-to-day. The two-time Pro Bowl selection was blocking on a third-down play when Bucs defensive lineman Gerald McCoy appeared to knock into his right leg. Williams stayed down for a couple of minutes, then favored his right leg as he was helped to the sideline. Williams and McCoy were college teammates at Oklahoma and were drafted consecutively in the first round in 2010.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsGeoff Burke

Billy Winn, DE, Browns

Winn left in the third quarter of Cleveland’s loss to the Texans with what the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported was simply a leg cramp. Winn, a 2012 sixth-round pick, joined linebacker Karlos Dansby and Jabaal Sheard as Browns defensive starters knocked out of the game.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY SportsAndrew Weber

Jarius Wright, WR, Vikings

Wright left Minnesota’s loss the Bears with a hamstring injury. Wright, a 2012 fourth-round pick, entered the game second on the Vikings in receiving yards (315) and tied for second in receptions (26).